Like Alia, the giant creature, Solse Prab, had experienced something traumatic that altered his memory and understanding of his present. He knew that he was born on the planet Bromeran, and that his sister, Silse, is an important government official there. He knew that he was banished from the planet for his heresies and he had been working on something with a friend named Joel, a Druinte he had met long ago. He thinks they built it, whatever machine they had been working on, and that’s how he heard the voice of a God, and he merged his body with that of Joel, and then nothing. He remembers nothing after agreeing to merge, not even how long ago it had occurred, or how long he had been back to his single self. And most importantly, he had no idea how he found himself on the giant, black golf ball, in a spacesuit equipped with oxygen and provisions to sustain him for many daylight cycles to come. He was coming to the end of his sustenance and he was happy to come across the humans and accompany them to the apparent surface of whatever was inside the black, golf ball shell.
“It looks like the surface of a planet,” Nebuchad said as the three slowly descended through the atmosphere. There was plenty of oxygen present and the three dropped their face masks. The air was mostly still and they drifted down with no turbulence. They landed in a field of lush grasses. As they moved through it, pollen stirred like a wave of dust and they all panicked and engaged their helmets because their vision was obscured.
“We have to get clear,” Alia said and the humans lifted Solse into the air. They hovered just above the pollen cloud and then lines of electricity began to form into a screen below the trio. The pollen dissipated and they landed in front of the screen that had materialized. It was huge and they all stared up at it, awed by its size, even Solse with his horns that made him seem bigger than he was.
A face appeared on the screen. It had horns similar to Solse, but the furry female face was more human. She smiled at them and looked down like she was viewing them in real time.
“Alia, you have made it to your destination. What is it that you need to know?” The face smiled warmly.
Alia was confused and she stammered, “What is this place?”
“Top B,” the face said. “But you know that you are not really here? You have made your way to the source of your maladies. If you have questions. I am here to give whatever answers you have access to. But I can only do that if you ask.”
“Captain,” Nebuchad said with growing concern, “what is going on? Do you know this place?”
Alia looked at him and shook her head. “I don’t understand what is happening.”
“That is unfortunate,” the face said sincerely. “You have journeyed so far. You should try to remember what brought you here.”
“Why is this planet emitting a disruptive magnetic field?” Nebuchad asked.
“You are not Alia,” the face said. “I am here for her and I can only give to her.”
“Please answer him,” Alia said.
“This is a pointless,” the face said, “I will tell you, but know that you are accessing a memory that has very little to do with your current predicament. This planet was a decoy ship designed by the race of beings known as the Ascendant. The planet functions as a spacecraft and when the Ascendant experimented with time travel, they created this replica of their planet Top to test their technologies. Top B was sent to this time and the magnetic field emitted keeps intelligent beings from your time from encountering it. And yet, here you are Alia. Why do you think that is?”
“This entire planet is a time machine?” Nebuchad asked. He was stricken with awe.
“Why am I here?” Alia asked, ignoring Nebuchad.
“Finally,” the face smiled, “a question that matters. You are here because things have changed Alia. You are not the same.”
“We have to get back to the IP,” Nebuchad said. “Would you like to join us, Solse?”
“The screen thinks that Alia has other business,” Solse said.
“We should really get back,” Nebuchad said again looking into Alia’s eyes.
She looked up at the face that stared down at her.
“Obviously you are not quite ready,” the face said. “But now you know where to find me.”
The screen dissipated in a cloud of pollen and the humans flew the Bromeris man up to the hatch in the sky. They went back to their ship and Solse did accompany them, though they had to reconnect the command room ship to the main ship to accommodate his size.
Alia was with Nebuchad when they arrived at the ship port of the Interstellar Panel and they briefed command on their findings. They were congratulated for the information they had gathered and they would lead a second mission that was quickly planned.
When she was alone, Alia thought hard about the words of the face. She had to remember what brought her there. Why am I here? Alia thinks to herself. Why does this feel familiar? Like I am living something that is not quite real?
PRL Serials 